"Alma played well. They dug a lot of balls. ... They pressured us and forced us to (struggle at times). I give them a big hand. They did a good job," said Creek coach Nick Horn, whose Lancers improve to 24-11-3.

" ... I think we started slow, then picked it up toward the end of the first set. Then, in the second set, maybe we got a little overconfident; I don't know," he added. "But I was very proud of (our players) for coming back. They were down in all four sets, but they kept fighting."

Horn noted that last week's narrow loss to Freeland in the TVC Central finale -- in which the Lancers battled back from an 0-2 deficit and fought off numerous match points before finally succumbing in five sets -- has been a big confidence booster.

"After the Freeland match, I told the girls, 'Hey, you can do anything. Don't ever stop. Keep working,'" he said. "They've continued to do that, and that has impressed me and made me proud as a coach."

"We may not have liked the final score (of that match), but we took so much from that," said Robbins. "Everytime we're down, we look back on that experience and know we can (come back). We never let down anymore, like we have (earlier in the season). ... From that experience, we know that we can (win) if we want it."

The Lancers needed all the positive energy they could muster against Alma, which used scrappy defense and 19 kills from Alyssa Jones to make an apparent mismatch very interesting.

Following a sluggish start in the first set, Creek went on an 11-1 run to build an 18-10 lead and cruised to the win.

In the second set, however, the Panthers ran off six straight points to take an early lead and eventually extended to a 13-6 advantage. Creek eventually caught up, but after seven ties Alma finally put the set away to tie the match at 1-1.

The third set was close and competitive throughout, as neither team managed a lead of more than three points. After 15 ties and 10 lead changes, the Lancers finished with an ace by Robbins and a kill by Hannah Jones to take a 2-1 lead.

"I felt real good (about our chances of winning after the second set)," said Alma coach Steve Humm. "I felt real good about the third set, too, but the balls didn't fall our way (late in the set), and they win 27-25."

The fourth and final set was similarly competitive, featuring 10 ties and three lead changes. But with the Panthers leading 20-16, Creek finished on a 9-1 run -- including three straight kills by Robbins -- to win it.

"I think she (Robbins) was off in the first couple of games, so I told her, 'Take charge of the game. That's what you like to do, so do it,'" Horn said.

Schumacher, who is normally a right side hitter, was filling in at setter for Mallory Fisher, who was still recovering from a sprained ankle suffered during the Freeland match.

Horn said Fisher's status is day-to-day, and he is not sure if she will be available for tonight's final.

Jones had 10 digs and three aces to go with her 19 kills for Alma, which finishes at 16-32-2. Sam Messer added eight kills, Cali Anderson seven kills and three aces, and Maddy Seeley 38 assists.

Looking ahead to Swan Valley, which beat Creek 3-1 in late September in a very competitive match, Horn said his Lancers have plenty of confidence.

"I told the girls, 'You're going to get a chance to redeem yourselves for the regular season (loss),'" Horn noted. " ... We didn't lay down, and we know we can play with (Swan Valley). Hopefully, we can come out and play a good match."

Swan Valley 3,

Freeland 0

In Wednesday's second semifinal, the Vikings opened up early leads in each set, played terrific defense and efficient offense, and avenged two earlier losses to the Falcons.

"They played well. They played a very good match," said Freeland coach Penny Cook, whose Falcons were undefeated in the TVC Central. "They didn't make many service errors, they didn't make many hitting attack errors, and they just kept the ball alive.

" ... It's tough to beat somebody three times in a row," she added.

Swan Valley coach Sarah Ball said her Vikings' two losses to Freeland -- once during the regular season and once during the TVC tournament -- were all the motivation her team needed.

"My girls were ready. We had already lost to them twice, so we said the third time's the charm, and that's what we (leaned on)," said Ball. "I'm just glad we stayed focused for three games and that it only took three games. When you go into those five-game matches, anything can happen."

With Freeland's top player, junior outside hitter Tori Jankoska, hobbled by an ankle sprain, Swan Valley went on a 7-1 run to take a 13-8 lead in the first set and never looked back.

The Vikings built a 14-7 lead in the second set before the Falcons rallied to cut it to 14-11. But Swan Valley eventually finished on a 5-2 run to win going away.

In the third set, the Vikings reeled off seven consecutive points to open up a 12-5 lead, then held on down the stretch.

"It doesn't help (to have your best player injured). Psychologically, they took advantage of that, they're well-coached, and they were the better team tonight," Cook said of Swan Valley.